Here we go...

So we did it.  Ronnie and I both went to our first consultation with Dr. Balsama yesterday.  We left with a checklist of doctors to make appointments with and tests that need to be done.  Our follow-up appointment is March 10.  Hopefully, we'll have everything done that day and will be able to move forward and get our surgery date scheduled.  We will see.  This is going to be a rough next few months, but I'm looking forward to coming out on the other side feeling so much better and being able to do so much better for everyone around me.  Wish me luck...

The Mission

My goal as manager of this family is to prolong ALL of our lives.  I will singlehandedly find easy ways to eat healthy and be more active without the kids even noticing.  This is life or death.  I hope I'm up for the job.

The Beginning

So I've been regularly seeing Dr. Leone for about 8 months now.  In that time, I have learned that I have high blood pressure and I'm riding the line on diabetes.  I'm 37 and FAT.  There's no way to sugarcoat that.  Since starting blood pressure meds, I've gained weight.  I'll admit that while we have changed many of our habits regarding food, I have slowly (or maybe not so slowly) slipped back to 'the other side'.  Fast food is a regular thing around here, as is sitting around watching life happen.  At the same time I have been gaining, my bad habits and laziness have spread to lil Miss Madison.  She starts Kindergarten in just a few short months and my goal this summer is to set her on a different path.  One that includes lots of fruits and veggies and time outside, not watching everyone play, but playing, jumping, running, swimming.  I'm not sure when I fell off the wagon, but I DO know when I jumped back on.  Hearing that bariatric surgery is in my future didn't do it.  (That actually feels like a lifeline right now.)  Knowing I have no clothes that fit properly didn't do it either.  What did it was stepping on the Wii this morning and seeing my weight at an all time high of 271 POUNDS!!!  How did that happen?  I was just almost down to 240 this time last year.  PATHETIC!!!  I know speaking negatively about yourself is the worst thing you can do, but c'mon.  That's a lot of weight.  Then, to top it off, Maddie jumped on the Wii too.  She's 3'7" tall (43 inches) and weighs 51 lbs.  I did that.  She didn't do it.  I did.  She's five.  So here I sit, debating spending $60 to join Weight Watchers or spend $40 on a Reader's Digest diet book.  Then it hit me--stop reading and just start doing!  So rather than read, I'll blog---so that one day I can come back and see how bad it was and compare it all to how good it is.  Something tells me that surgery is still in my future, but that doesn't mean I get a pass until then.  It all starts right now!